Protecting health care and property taxpayers

As a member of the Assembly/Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health, Assemblymember Cahill played a key role in negotiations. He fought for a state budget that includes a limit on the growth of local Medicaid costs, along with an acceleration of the state takeover of the Family Health Plus program costs.

The Assembly originally proposed a hard cap on Medicaid growth – which would have provided $12.4 million more in savings for Dutchess and Ulster Counties. This compromise, which provides those counties $9.3 million, is a step toward easing the burden Medicaid places on local taxpayers.

Other steps to ensure quality health care while protecting taxpayers include:

• scaling back the Governor’s sick tax on nursing homes and cutting his tax on hospitals in half

• creating a Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century to determine the best way to protect services by eliminating costly excess capacity in the state’s health care facilities

• creating a preferred drug list with the strongest consumer protections in the nation and ensuring physicians have the final say in prescribing medicine

• reducing the out-of-pocket expenses that the Governor sought to impose on Family Health Plus enrollees through significantly higher co-pays, as well as his attempts to cut basic benefits like vision, dental and hospice care

Providing more for local schools

The bipartisan budget invests in our children’s education by increasing aid by $354 million more than the Governor proposed.

Schools in the 101st Assembly District will receive approximately $10.5 million more than last year.

The budget also restores the Governor’s cuts for various expense-based aids, funds that local schools already spent in anticipation of state reimbursement for BOCES services, transportation costs and educating students with disabilities. The budget also provides:

• Kingston and Ellenville School Districts with a 5 percent increase in building aid reimbursements allocated for high-need schools – ensuring our children have a safe, modern environment where they can focus on learning

• an additional $2.9 million for the State Comptroller’s Office for additional audits to better ensure schools are spending tax dollars wisely

• a restoration of $2.1 million in aid for the Mid-Hudson Library System which includes funding the Governor vetoed last year

Keeping higher education within reach for working families

The budget rejects the Governor’s tuition increase and his plan for automatic hikes each year, as well as the Governor’s proposed 50 percent cut to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) – a program that has helped countless children from working families achieve their goal of a college education. The budget commits over $10 million toward the rehabilitation and expansion of the Student Union Building at SUNY New Paltz and the much-needed renovation of Ulster County Community College’s microbiology lab.

Reforming the Empire Zones program and creating jobs

The budget also expands and reforms the state’s Empire Zones program and allows each region of the state to use its strengths to compete in the global economy. The plan will improve technology, provide funding to businesses that show job creation potential and enhance opportunities for expansion across all industries.

The budget authorizes 12 new Empire Zones – expanding one of New York’s most important economic development tools. It also addresses some major abuses and loopholes to make the program more effective and accountable.

To make it easier for businesses to thrive in New York, the budget cuts business taxes by $213 million.

Making the Hudson Valley a better place to live and work

The budget means nearly $9 million in funding for Ulster and Dutchess Counties, an increase of more than $900,000 over last year. This vital funding goes toward important services such as police and fire protection, garbage pickup and sanitation – helping preserve our safety and quality of life.